Development of Environmental Literature in Kannada · 2020. 3. 26. · Environmental Literature in...
Transcript of Development of Environmental Literature in Kannada · 2020. 3. 26. · Environmental Literature in...
Development of
Environmental Literature in Kannada based on the findings from select conservation
action projects, as a means of need based Environmental Information:
case study from Uttara Kannada
Somashekhar B S Green India Trust
IBC 2012, Bangalore
Project Area-Western Ghats
UTTARA KANNADA: Replete with Natural resources,
Diverse communities Diverse dependence-usage patterns.
Many Environmental issues linked to
Socio-Economic contexts
PROPER UNDERSTANDING of such issues by the communities IS VITAL to ensure their
support / involvement in the overall conservation initiatives
Premise 1
Authentic Environmental Information (EI) leads to APPRECIATION about an
Environmental issue
Premise 2
Despite several significant initiatives addressing priority Environmental issues in place, EI DISSEMINATION not given priority; treated more as an adjacent ACTIVITY than a STRATEGY. EE MATERIAL treated more as an obligatory END PRODUCT than a NEED BASED OUTPUT. Available little EE material is NOT BASED ON USERS’ ACTUAL NEEDS: Form and language not familiar; replete with technical Information & Jargons, difficult-to-digest and make a comprehension. EE material largely falls short of making an IMPACT on the knowledge, skill and attitude of any target audience.
Current Strategies for ENVIRONMENTAL
INFORMATION Dissemination is not
so encouraging
EE MATERIAL is neither exciting, nor stimulating not even
evokes surprise
Premise 3
Research findings likely to remain as PROJECT REPORTS to alienate the local communities from the initiative. Stake holder groups CAN NOT ACCESS authentic information, but continue to CARRY DEFICIENT AND DISTORTED understanding of an environmental issue of concern. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS PERSIST: Deeper understanding is VITAL for the local communities who can then relate themselves with the issue and develop an APPRECIATION.
What will possibly
happen?
So?........1
CEPF SG projects in Uttara Kannada anchor a WIDE SPECTRUM of environmental issues, which are interconnected. Findings are potential REPERTOIRE OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION, and proper dissemination of it can make an impact. Need is to make concerted efforts to DISSEMINATE the EI and EDUCATE the communities. BETTER INFORMED COMMUNITIES ARE BETTER EQUIPPED to address the issue.
CEPF funded SG projects appear
promising and carry substantial EE potential
Constitute a
RICH REPERTOIRE of EI
PARENT PROJECTS
Critical areas for a landscape level wildlife corridor Feeding ecology, status of Food trees & habitat of lion-tailed macaques Cinnamon Plant Resources of Central Western Ghats
Tarantula Spider diversity, distribution and habitat-use
We chose 4 CEPF SG projects as the source
of EI
These 4 Focal subjects represent 4 key elements of an
ecosystem
•To make an assessment of environmental information needs of different target groups
•To distil and make comprehensive syntheses of the focal subjects anchored by the projects
•To develop environmental literature and educational material prototypes
•To field test the prototypes and release for wider use
Objectives
NEED ASSESSMENT with Grantees
Experts, Writers & E Educators
Target groups Importance Ranking under
the Parent Projects
Characteristics of EE material & Form
1 2 3 4
Farmer Households,
Head of the Family
** **** **** **** Interpretive, Demystifying, Inspiring; able to
straighten wrong notions
SUCCESS STORIES, THEMATIC PROFILE
Frontline forestry staff,
Field staff of Dept.of Revenue,
Irrigation, Rural Development
*** **** *** *** Able to cause attitudinal change, able to enhance
working knowledge & skills
PRIMERS & ESSAYS
Village heads, Opinion Leaders,
Elected members of Village
Panchayaths , VFCs
**** **** ** --- Informative, Inspiring; able to straighten wrong
notions; able to cause attitudinal change
SUCCESS STORIES, PRIMERS
Schools-Educational
Institutions, Mass Media
* ** * **** Interpretive, Exciting, Stimulating
STORIES, ACTIVITY MODULE
Women SHGs, NTFP gatherers,
Community Groups
--- --- *** --- Informative, Inspiring and Motivating
PROTOCOLS, HANDBOOK-USERS GUIDE
Target groups identified and prioritised
1. Corridors, 2.Food trees & LTMs, 3.Cinnamon resources, 4. Spiders
Rapid Review of EE material & its Descriptors
Ideally, EE material should be a case study, anecdote, essay,
handbook informal narrative
Basic concepts and principles should be clearly brought out
information should be complete and free from ambiguities,
distortion and deficiency; There should not be any factual
errors or discrepancies
Experience based description and success stories from the
region would be more valid
Informal and familiar tone with an appealing style of
presentation would be ideal;
Subject should be easy to read and easy to comprehend;
Simple language free from technical jargons and unfamiliar
terminology would be ideal
Familiar examples/ models would help understand the
subject easily; Reader should relate himself with the subject
subject should carry contemporary relevance & be pertinent
to the lives of target groups
Technical details and skills should be simplified so as to follow
and adopt easily
Latest findings elsewhere, on the focal subject should also be
mentioned
Planned EE material
Community Primers Fact Sheets
Pocket Action Guides Activity Module
4 self contained Envi Information capsules, with 2-3 need based EE material. Each capsule can be used for a specific target group under the project focus. Collectively they constitute a comprehensive EE capsule for UK.
\ EE material Focal Subject field \
1 2 3 4
Landscape-Corridor group
Plant group
Animal group
Plant-Animal interaction
NEED ASSESSMENT with the Target groups in the
field
Field visits to understand the Issues Familiarization with the issue; Additional field data gathered; Supplementary info about the dynamics and other implicit issues noticed.
PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT
Parent inputs gathered Additional referencing and data compilation from published sources done In-house writers worked on Subject overviews and syntheses Storylines and structure of the prototypes evolved Personification, Contemplation, Success stories, Descriptive Essays and Fantasy stories are the templates used Prototypes in advanced stage of completion
MODEL PROTOTYPES
FURTHER …
DUMMY prototypes of all the material to be finalised Field testing with the stakeholder groups Normalising of the drafts with the help of seasoned science writers and EE experts Final release of the material for wider use Initiation of dialogues with KFD and other agencies for dissemination
The project has been quite exciting & inspiring and indicates a huge potential to develop EE material for Uttara Kannada. While many conventional initiatives consider EE material as an end product, we consider it to be the beginning to make a change in the attitude of the comunities for being pro-environmental.
Thanks ! CEPF-ATREE Dr. Bhaskar Acharya SG Project Grantees: BL Hegde, Narasinha Hegde, HN Kumara, Manju Siliwal Dr. Vasudeva, Forestry college, Sirsi Dr. Kushalappa, Forestry College, Ponnampet Sri Anant Hegde Ashisara, Chairman, WGTF KFD Writers-EE experts, Envi Journalists, NGOs GREEN INDIA TRUST-IINDICUS team Members of Local Communities of Uttara Kannada